The Queen of the Faeries

Long ago I was enchanted by the Queen of the Faeries...

Amber Grey Photography

Daffodils in Mythic March

We have daffodils gallor, all around the mailbox, the storm cellar, the bird bath, and along the fence. No crocuses, sadly, but that's to be expected, since the squirrels think we plant them just for them eat. Little blighters.

But to compensate for the lack of real crocuses, I found an excuse to draw myself some; I worked them into the project I'm doing for my Senior Show this semester, which is to illustrate the Volsung Saga. Crocuses grow in Norway, where that ancient myth originates, so I decided to do a landscape scene with the crocuses and one bumble bee. Grace over at Domythic Bliss is conducting Mythic March, so this is my contribution to that for the week.

 In case you're wondering, these are Prismacolor pencil drawings on vellum over a painting on watercolor. The vellum gives the watercolor scenes a wonderful misty, mysterious feel.

As an extra bonus, here is another piece I'm working on that's also part of this project. It's of the tree Branstock, which is a whole other post itself. It's not finished, and the picture doesn't nearly capture the glow coming from behind the tree, but it'll do.

I suppose since it's spring I should turn off the snow and change to a new background, but I'm still a bit reluctant to let go of winter. Ah well, I must do it sometime.

To Bad Beginnings and Happy Endings

Yesterday morning started out badly for me. Despite having aced algebra in college, I still cannot, it seems, correctly calculate the width of a matt when it comes to framing my art. Consequently, I ordered half the matting space I needed for the frames for my BFA show coming up this month, and yesterday morning I had to call the framing company bright and early hoping they hadn't already cut my frames and I could cancel my order without the restocking fee. But they had cut them. And I did have to throw a decent bit of perfectly good money out the window to cancel my order, and then reorder my frames in the correct dimensions.

Being a very frugal person, I wasn't one bit happy with myself. So I had a few sniffles, reordered my frames, and then had a few more sniffles. Until my husband called around lunch to see how my ordeal had gone, and upon hearing about it, notified me that, as it was a lovely, sunny day, we were going on a picnic to a wonderful park he had discovered along the Arkansas River. Somehow, he had hit upon the only thing that could really take my mind off my misery: a picnic in a gorgeous park on an early spring day, along the a river no less.

So I packed some soup and sandwiches and a thermos of tea, and off we went. And it was such a beautiful park! It wasn't the usual sort of park, the sort with swing sets and picnic tables in the middle of some trees. It was a little ways out of town in some steep hills covered in woods, with the river flowing lazily past. The trails were wild and rambling, and there were rocky bluffs to sit on top of and look at the river below. But best of all was the abundance of ferns and moss and lichen growing all over.

We rambled all afternoon, and then watched the sunset, which was simply exquisite. No painting can ever capture the flaming glory of a sunset. No colors are gaudy enough, vibrant enough, thrilling enough! It was just perfect. A lovely end to a bad beginning.

To Drive the Cold Winter Away

I am sitting before a roaring fire today. Why, you might ask, are you sitting in front of a roaring fire when the daffodils are already blooming?

Well, I believe that even the daffodils wish they were sitting in front of a roaring fire.

Yes indeed, that is what happens when you bloom too early. Lady Winter comes and dashes all your hopes, laughs in your face, and coats the trees in ice.

 I think it's quite beautiful though, and since my seedlings are safe indoors, I don't mind the ice storm. I've gotten my last bit of winter, so when she's gone, I'll be happy to welcome spring.

A Flying Bear

Well, if this won't cheer you up, I don't know what will. In an exercise to accurately show fur, feathers, and wood grain all in one drawing, I gave this wonderful brown bear I met in a berry patch a way to fly. You just take some feathers and stick them in your nest, put your nest on a stump, and take off. It's as simple as that!

How to Sprout Seeds: Eggplant, Basil, and Chamomile

Meet Cordelia:

Cordelia

Yes indeed, my seeds are sprouting, and that little tenacious eggplant seedling earned the name Cordelia, after Anne Shirley's imaginary bosom friend, because she seems like a she, and the dramatic sort of she as well, since she burst forth first of all the eggplants. I started them 11 days ago and already I have 13 basil sprouts, who knows how many chamomile, and seven eggplants. I'm especially proud since I've never actually done my own seedling starting before.

Awww, look at me little lovelies.

Since there is no room in the house to put a light and two flats of seedlings, I decided to put them down in the tornado cellar, since it has an electrical outlet. I bought one of those handy-dandy plant light bulbs they have at Lowe's, which screws into a regular light socket, and put it in one of those trouble lights which can also be found at Lowe's. And then I suspended it from the ceiling of the cellar and put my seedlings underneath, and twice a day I mist them with water. Misting with a spray bottle is the best method for seedlings because it doesn't disturbe the soil and is less tedious than using a spoon. Oh, and I used those little coconut pellets they sell for starting seeds. In a couple weeks they'll need to be fertilized, but for now they just need to grow grow grow!

Sigurd, bottom right, the largest of the basil sprouts. I shall make much pesto with you, my darling.

I'm pretty sure the chamomile sprouts are all identical siblings, so they don't get names.

I ordered all my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, and I am very pleased with the germination rate. However, the chamomile seeds are the Burpee kind you can find in the gardening section of any store, and while I wasn't too optimistic about them sprouting well, I was pleasantly surprised at the excellent germination rate. I'm used to people getting a couple of seedlings per packet.

So, there you have it. I've got plants under a grow light in my cellar. That doesn't sound suspicious. But I shall have ever so much eggplant and basil this summer!

The Silver Light of Dawn

I ran across this painting by Dan McCaw and I was of course immediately enchanted. Have you ever seen the sun rising on a frosty morning with a week, pale glow from the cloud cover and cold air? He has captured the light perfectly in this piece.

Dan McCaw, title unknown, from his Facebook page.

Here's another morning painting by him, even titled such. I'm afraid I don't look that put together this morning... or most mornings... but the light here looks about the same. If you can't enjoy anything else in the bleak midwinter, then admire what sunlight there is and wait for me to post up pictures of MY SEEDS WHICH ARE ALREADY SPROUTING! Yes indeed, I am starting seedlings indoors and after only three days of watering and a grow light bulb, they are sprouting.

Dan McCaw,  Morning Light, http://mccawfineart.com/